Contrastive Analysis of Concessive Conjunctions in Translated and Non-translated Arabic Texts - An Exploratory Study

Oct 15, 2026

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This study addresses a gap in theory-driven, corpus-based research on translation-specific features (TSF) in Arabic translated texts. It applies a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) approach to compare concessive/contrastive connective markers in a comparable corpus of translated and non-translated Arabic texts by the same authors. Concordance-based comparison highlights differences in concessive conjunction types and frequencies, including explicitation and upgrading tendencies. From an SFL view, these differences are driven by the translation process rather than English source text effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Corpus-based translation studies and comparable corpora

Translation-specific features (TSF) and theoretical framework (SFL)

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 [www.alls.aiac.org.au](www.alls.aiac.org.au) | Contrastive Analysis of Concessive Conjunctions in Translated and Non-translated Arabic Texts: An Exploratory Study
Ashraf Fattah & Rashid Yahiaoui*
Translation and Interpreting Studies Dept. College of Humanities and Social Sciences Hamad bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, LAS Building, First Floor: Office A135, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar
Corresponding Author: Rashid Yahiaoui, E-mail: [ryahiaoui@hbku.edu.qa](ryahiaoui@hbku.edu.qa) | | | --- | --- | | ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT
This study seeks to contribute to addressing a gap in theory-driven corpus-based research focused on the so-called translation specific features (TSF) in Arabic translated texts. It provides a contrastive Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)-informed analysis ofconcessive/contrastive connective markers in a selected comparable corpus made up of translated and non-translated Arabic texts. This area of corpus-based research has been mainly driven by an interest in the linguistic features distinguishing translated from non-translated texts. The characteristic feature of the present study is the fact that it is based on a comparable corpus of translated and nontranslated texts written by the same authors in more or less the same genre. Based on a comparison of concordance data, the study will highlight some interesting patterns of difference in the types and frequencies of concessive conjunctions used, as well as ‘explicitating’ and ‘upgrading’tendencies between the two components of the corpus. Viewed from an SFL perspective, somesuch differences do not seem to be triggered by the English source texts involved or dictated by contrastive linguistic requirements but rather by the translation process itself. | | Article history
Received: March 11, 2019
Accepted: June 23, 2019
Published: August 31, 2019
Volume: 10 Issue: 4
Advance access: July 2019 | | | Conflicts of interest: None
Funding: None | | | Key words:
Arabic, Concessive,
Conjunction,
Corpus, Explicitation, SFL, Translation | | INTRODUCTION Since the nineties, corpus-based translation studies have traditionally focused on authentic parallel corpora composed of source texts and their corresponding target texts. Largely informed by corpus linguistics, this area of translation research has been mainly driven by an interest in the linguistic features that distinguish translated texts in general from non-translated texts, regardless of the source or target language. Deploying the techniques of corpus linguistics, researchers engaged in corpus-based analysis of translated texts have observed and posited certain features or tendencies which seem tobe distinctive of the language of translation, as opposed to non-translated texts in the same language, regardless of the language pair involved. The use of comparable corpora was suggested by Baker (1996) as a resource for investigating such features, where a comparable corpus consists of two separate collections of texts in the same language, one of which is composed of original texts in the language in question while the other consists of translations in that language from a given source language or languages. Both components are meant to bein the same language and comparable in domain and register. The goal of this novel approach, especially when used in conjunction with the more usual parallel approach, is to identify or rather isolate any translation-specific patterns, orthe distinctive features of translated text per se, that are not attributable to the source or target language systems. A comparable investigation of this kind, given an appropriate corpus, should provide some insight into the translation process itself as well as the individual translator’s translational behaviour, i.e.‘the translator’s fingerprints’(Aijmer and Lewis 2017: 3), particularly in the unique case where the comparabl

FAQs

What research gap does the study target?

The study targets a gap in theory-driven corpus-based research examining translation-specific features (TSF) in Arabic translated texts, especially regarding concessive/contrastive connective markers.

How is the data organized for the analysis?

The analysis uses a comparable corpus containing translated and non-translated Arabic texts written by the same authors in more or less the same genre.

What does the study conclude about the cause of observed differences?

The study suggests that differences in connective marker patterns are triggered by the translation process itself, rather than by English source texts or contrastive linguistic requirements.

Oct 15, 2026

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